The Very Latest Very Biggest News

So, look at this:

Ain't that the cutest, sweetest baby you've ever seen?

That's Andy.

Andy Bennett.

Yep, that's his name.  More formally Andrew Raymond Bennett.  Born to our oldest son, Drew and his wife Andrea 2 days ago, May 26.  17 3/4 inches (that's an important 3/4 inch!), 4 pounds, 2.4 ounces.  His birth was induced about 4 weeks early because of some pregnancy complications.  He's small, but doing very well.  We were able to get to Swedish Hospital in Seattle within about an hour of his birth, and were able to stay around for about 2 days.

He'll be in the hospital for a few more days, just until he is growing, taking adequate nutrition and regulating his own temperature and blood sugar.

So, from now on, we respond better to the names "Grandma" and "Grandpa".  If you were wondering.

AB

On the Big Island

I don't really think that I need to blog every detail of our home assignment.  Really, I don't.  But here's a little more about our time in Hawaii before moving on to other things.  We went to the "Big Island" to speak at several events at the Hilo and Paradise Park churches.  We were also able to go to Kona for 1 day of delayed anniversary celebration, and then to speak to the youth group at the Kona church.

 Angel Falls in Hilo.

 With Pastor Rick Ragle at the Hilo church.

 At the Paradise Park church.  We had a combined service with the Micronesian and the English congregations.  Here the Micronesian people are doing a song with marching and motions.  Our PNG friends would have enjoyed this "drama".

 Some old family friends, the Birds, who were in our church in Kalispel, Montana, when I was a little kid.

 We spoke in the chapel service of the preschool at Hilo.

In a Starbucks in Hilo, we saw a poster for Kigabah Estate, the coffee plantation owned by our friends Billy and Joesa Gardner, just down the road from Kudjip.  They were the recipiants of the Black Apron Award in 2005, the award for the best green coffee that they bought this year.  We've seen the poster a few times in the US.

 Judy with Captain Jack, in Kona.

 Shave Ice, a Hawaii specialty.  Judy loved this.  I thought it was a lot like ice with flavor on it.

Speaking to the youth group at the Kona church.  We had a great time there!

Pearl Harbor

We did have some time for sightseeing while on Oahu.  Our priority was seeing the Perl Harbor memorial.  We were able to visit all four of the major sections (Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, Pacific Air Museum, and the USS Bowfin/submarine museum), as well as several of the smaller exhibits.  Obviously, this was more of a moving emotional experience rather than being fun, but it was a good day together, seeing history, and remembering those who gave their lives, not only for the USA, but for the free world.

 I'm showing PNG on the giant map of the pacific in the entry area at the memorial.

 A long view of the Arizona Memorial and of the USS Missouri, which is now a permanent museum in Perl Harbor.

 One of the turrets of the Arizona is visible above the water.  I assume that this varies with the tide.  Other parts of the ship are vaguely visible below the water.

 Inside the memorial.  There is a large opening in the floor.  The structure blocks a lot of the glaring light, so you can see a little more of the wreckage under the water.

 

The memorial wall, listing the names and ranks of each of the men who died on the ship.  Most of their bodies were never recovered.

 One of those Wallaces was the uncle of our Dr. Becky Wallace.  Maybe great uncle.

 A conning tower of a WWI-era submarine that saw some service in WWII.  The periscopes work!

 The USS Missouri.  She has been de-commissioned, moth-balled at Navy Base Bremerton, re-commissioned, moth-balled again, and now is on permanent display in Perl Harbor.

 The plaque in the deck of the Missouri, marking the place where the Japanese surrender was signed, marking the end of the war in the Pacific.  Copies of the surrender documents are displayed nearby.

The mess in the USS Bowfin, a submarine that is displayed.

AB